Code: America
by ZachFlame
Summary: Jeremie's cousin has come to France to find out more about his past. But when Zach and Aelita's pasts intertwine, no one will see the Carthage project the same. Rated T for violence and swearing.
1. The Beginning

A/N Hi, I'm Zach, a new author who has decided to try his shot at writing. Please review and say what you think. Thanks for reading!

Code: America

"Back when I knew it all! Back when the world was flat and mom and dad didn't have a clue!" I sang to one of my favorite songs as I drove into Kadic's parking lot.

I parked my Humvee, got out, and took a look around. Winter break was over and students were mulling about. I took out my android to call my cousin. "Hey, Einstein, where the hell are you?" I said as Jeremie Belpois picked up. "I'm right behind you." I whipped around and pointed my Beretta at a medium height blond boy and a pink haired girl. "Zach, what's up with the gun? I thought you quit." Jeremie said as he pushed the gun away.

I holstered it and replied "Old habits die hard. You of all people ought to know that. By the way, who's this? Finally caught one?" He blushed and shook his head. The girl greeted me and said "I'm Aelita. You must be Zach, Jeremie's cousin from America."

"Yep. Took sixteen hours on my plane so I'm a little edgy." I said trying to explain the Beretta without revealing my past. She didn't question it further. Three other people walked up to the car as I took out a camo bag and a large briefcase. I considered taking a few other things but left them in the trunk. A boy in a green over-shirt, dark green T- shirt and camo cargo shorts, A tall Japanese girl in a black sweater, pants, and combat boots, and a boy in purple (literally, all purple) walked up and introduced themselves.

Or at least tried to. "Wait; let me guess from Jeremie's descriptions. You are Ulrich Stern, Yumi Ishyama and Odd Della-Robia. Then you must be Aelita-"

I stopped as a brain-splitting head-ache struck and collapsed. Images flew around my eyes. I saw a smaller version of Aelita and a kid I didn't know running around a lab.

I looked and saw an old man who said "Zach, Keep Aelita and Maverick away from the supercomputer." Without wanting to I replied "Yes Mr. Hopper, Anthea, can I take them out to the clearing?"

An older version of Aelita, apparently Anthea, said "Yes, just be careful." All of the sudden, the vision stopped and I was back leaning against the back tire. Aelita was in front of me, asking me if I was all right.

"Aelita… Aelita Hopper. Then you know," I stuttered. I stood up and grabbed my stuff. Then I walked to the Main Office. "Zach Flame, I'm a new student and I need my room key and schedule," I said to the secretary. I needed to get to my room and figure this out. "Okay mister… Flame" She gave me an odd look. "Not as bad as Odd though." She laughed. "I guess so. Here, you are sharing a room with Jeremie Belpois, I heard he is your cousin?" she said.

I nodded and replied "Yeah, it's a long story about my name though, and I don't have time." She gave me a look but didn't push it. "Alright, here is your schedule. You have Mrs. Hertz, Mrs. Meyer, Mr. Fumet, Mrs. Hertz again for competitions, Mr. Chardin, and Mr. Klotz." She handed me a key and a sheet of paper. "Why do I have a psychologist?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not sure, I'm sure you can ask Principle Delmas later, when you have time." I frowned but thanked her and left. As I walked out of the office I saw Yumi, Jeremie, and the others rushing towards me. Aelita tried to talk but I ran off. As I neared the dorm, Ulrich ran up and asked "Zach, what gives? How do you know Aelita's last name?"

I ignored him and butted him with the back of my pistol. He stumbled and I was able to enter Jeremie's –and my- room without anyone following me. I looked around and smiled in approval, Jeremie's computer will suit my needs. I tried to log on but my cousin's security stopped me. "Nice work Einstein, but not good enough." I turned on my Techno Glasses and hacked into his mainframe.

"Damn, nice firewall." I grunted. It took about three minutes to enter Jeremie's network. I summoned up Project Carthage and found my answers. But before I could log out the door burst open and Jeremie's friends ran in. "How did you get in?" demanded Jeremie.

"My key, we're roommates now." I answered in a calm tone. "Why did you hit me with that thing?" asked Ulrich, clutching his chest. I probably hit him too hard. "Because, I needed to know if I was right."" Right about what?" Yumi asked, confused. I sighed and answered "Einstein, You don't know half my past. But before I can elaborate, I need to know some things."

No one said anything and I continued. "Are you all Lyoko Warriors? Is Aelita's former name Hopper? Have you been in contact with Franz Hopper? Do you know about Valhalla?" They looked around and Aelita said "You cannot tell anyone." I nodded and she continued.

"Yes, we are all Lyoko Warriors. Yes, I was once Hopper. We had contact but in the last battle with XANA, he was killed. No we do not know about Valhalla."

"I share my condolences with you, Aelita. Losing a Father is horrible, but watching them die is worse. Anyway, I ask to be a Warrior." Everyone was shocked, but Odd was the first to regain the power of speech. "We…we barely know you and you're already asking to join us?"

Ulrich added with grim features "I hate to say it, but I agree with Odd. The Lyoko Warriors isn't a book club. Besides, The Warriors are no more. XANA is gone. Hopper made sure of that." I shook my head and said "XANA isn't gone, and neither is Mr. Hopper. He just left your computer and entered mine. That's why I came to France."

Aelita demanded "What do you mean my father isn't dead? I watched him fall into the digital sea! And XANA is gone! Jeremie's program deleted every trace of him from the internet."

I shook my head again and replied "My parents, your parents, and XANA are all in hiding. XANA came to America and attacked the supercomputer in Las Vegas. My parents disappeared and I came here for help. I had no idea that my cousin was the cause of all this. Ulrich, you are right. I do need to explain myself. I am fourteen, turning 15 this March. However, I was stuck in the Las Vegas supercomputer, in the world of Valhalla. I think I was in there for sixteen years. I got out about six years ago. I have no idea how old I was when I went in. But, when I collapsed earlier I saw a vision."

I stopped and let everyone absorb what I said. "So you don't know most of your past?" Aelita said cautiously. I chuckled. "You could say that, but I know more than you did. Anyway, in my vision, or flash, I saw a young Aelita running around with a doll and another young boy. They couldn't have been more than ten. I saw your mother, Aelita. And Mr. Hopper talked to me. He told me to take you away from the lab.

I was probably thirteen. I also have a weird feeling about you. When I first saw you, I thought it was a crush, teenage hormones. Then after the flash, I realized it was a brotherly feeling, an over protectiveness. I think our live are connected. Straying from that, I am a CIA field agent. That is why I have a .50 caliber Beretta. I also believe that my family was sent to protect the Hoppers when they were building Carthage."

I stopped again as Yumi asked "So you know what Carthage is?" "Aye. Operation Carthage was an international project that the United Nations approved. It was started five years after the Soviet Union fell to keep other countries such as Iran, Iraq, Germany, and Japan away from the Russian nukes-""What? Why would Japan and Germany be kept from owning nuclear missiles when other countries have them?" yelled Ulrich.

I smiled and said "Germany and Japan initiated the world wars. No one in NATO was going to let them even see nuclear bombs. Anyway, we needed an unmanned program to keep the codes secure. Hence, Carthage was made. However, the scientists of Carthage were betrayed to the Nightblades, or the Men in Black as you have called them.

Everyone was either killed, or escaped to the internet, including my parents, Anthea Hopper, and Franz Hopper. I will tell you more tomorrow. I am tired and I still need to set up." Everyone but Jeremie and Aelita left. I disconnected my glasses and placed my own laptop on the desk. I then proceeded to unpack my stuff. However, I left my briefcase unopened.

Jeremie asked "Some family we are huh? Don't even know about each other's pasts." I looked at him. "Jeremie, I didn't know till a few months ago. We'll figure this out." He smiled weakly and silently changed and fell asleep. I stared at the ceiling until the comforting embrace of sleep pulled me in.


	2. Trustworthy?

Code: America

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" a soft voice whispered across my new dorm. "I doubt it. Look at that badge! C.I.A. field officer! How can we trust a spook?" said another. I think it belongs to Ulrich. I slowly reach my hand under my pillow and grip one of my .45's. "And that gun, it says .50 on the barrel. That's not for self defense. I think he's killed people, maybe he's with the Men in Black, maybe the C.I.A. is helping the French government." That was Yumi. I half cracked my eyes open. I saw Yumi and Ulrich standing in front of me. Aelita and Jeremie were glaring at them and Odd was laying on my cousin's bed. "Did you forget that he's my cousin? If you don't trust him you don't trust me." Jeremie said in my defense. I decided to state my mind. "Put my badge and my gun down. And what gives you the right to search through my stuff?" I said and fully opened my eyes. They all stared at me, shocked. I sat up, letting go of my 1911 so they wouldn't see. I snatched my badge and license out of Yumi's hands. I looked them over to see if they marked anything. "I'll take my gun back now." I stated, glaring at Ulrich. He grabbed the front of the grip and handed me the Beretta. I raised an eyebrow and asked him how he knew to do that. "My dad's a top divorce lawyer in Berlin. He makes enemies so he taught my family self defense. It's useful around a spook too." I sighed. So much for staying undercover, but Aelita's appearance didn't help. I glanced at my watch which read 22:54. I groaned and said "Go away all of you 'cept Jeremie. I've got six more hours till I have to get up again and I want to sleep." The warriors just looked at me and kept arguing. Guess I'm still used to ordering troops around in Afghanistan. I took out a bottle from under my bed and popped out two sleeping pills. Aelita saw this and asked why I had them. "Sometimes the nightmares are too much and I take them to sleep better." They all stopped talking and stared at me. I swallowed them dry and asked them why they were looking at me like that. "What kind of nightmares?" Odd asked. "Mostly of the war in Afghanistan but the worst are strange. I see a young girl being chased by wolves and I have a bow but I can't shoot them because I don't have arrows. So I jump down and try to attack but the nightmare is over before I can atta-" The sleeping pills took effect and I passed out.

It was that nightmare again. I saw a girl running from five grey wolves. But I didn't have a bow. Just a six foot long wood pole. I jumped down and this time I attacked. After bashing one skull the pole transformed into a halberd. I used the pole axe to chop an incoming wolf in half, but there wasn't blood! The pole changed again, this time into a long sword, like the ones the knights used. I finished the last three wolves without it changing and without blood. I looked at the girl, she looked about four or five years old. I saw that she dropped a doll and I picked it up. "It's OK, I'm not going to hurt you" I said. She took the doll but shrank away. "I'm Zach, what's your name?" "A... Alexia. Alexia Zanardi. How did you do that? You're only five!" I frowned, confused. I looked at the blade of my sword. It was true! I was about 4' 5'' and my limbs were stubby. "I don't know, I didn't notice. Then, suddenly, the dream was over. Someone was shaking me. "Zach, get up! There's another new American! She's hurt, too!" I yanked open my eyes and got out of bed. It was Aelita. She and Jeremie pointed out the window. "There!" she said. I looked out the window and saw a dirty-blond girl directly below my window. "What the hell? How did you know she was American?" She yelled 'shit' in English and it sounded like your accent." Jeremie said. I frowned and opened the window. "Two stories down. I'll make it." I then jumped out and down to where she was. I rolled on impact and walked over to where she was. I did basic checks. "No broken bones or sprains. What happened to you?" I said to myself I checked my watch. 5:00. Figures that this would be my wakeup call. Then I heard her groan. "Hey, Rapunzel, ya might want to let down your hair before you jump." I said in English. She opened her eyes and glared at me. "No shit, Sherlock. Are you Zach?" "Who wants to know?" "My name's Alexia Zanardi. Call me Alex."

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	3. As the Mud Thickens

A/N Thanks to amyK and Nina Elric H for faving Code: America and special thanks to amyK for following it. You guys are awesome. Please review what you think so far.)

Code: America

"What the hell?"

"What? Never heard of restricted language 'round ladies?"

"The ladies I'm used to are coarser than pebble-sized sandpaper. I'm just wonderin' why you are below my window without more than a bruised-"

"Ass?"

"No, ego. But that too." I smiled. It's been a long time since I met an American who wasn't carrying a gun. I stood up and helped her up.

"Ow. Damn, twisted an ankle."

I chuckled. "Really?" You fell twenty feet. Ya should be in pieces.

"Give credit to my addiction of milk."

With a yelp of protest she was lifted into the air and on my back. After prying her arms off my neck, I headed to the nurse's office.

Alex Zanardi, in the flesh. And we've hit off rather well. First day legally in France and I've already found a good team and a girl that's been haunting me for twelve years.

Only thing else that'll surprise me if Noah and Kristen come here. I'll be damned if they do though. With the Mossad being trigger-happy and RVS needing a liaison that isn't a dead man, I won't see my friends for a while.

Gah, I need a whiskey. Approaching the door, I knocked my head on it and Dorothy Yolande let us in. "Back already? What happened?"

" I tried to reach the only American in Kadic by climbing. Didn't work."

"Really? That's why? What the bloody hell did you need?" Yolande frowned at my language.

"My new roommate had a nightmare and set Elizabeth off. I told her to put a dick in it and she had her goons make sure I got ready for class in a blanket of snow." Alex explained.

I shook my head. "Who's your roommate? How come I didn't hear of you coming?"

"Aelita Stones. She didn't know I was there either- I got in around midnight because my parents don't believe that I can't sleep in an airplane."

"You sound like the President. John Maverick hates planes. Amazes me how he survives."

"How do you know the President?"

Shit. Shouldn't have said that.

"I wrote a letter about the Afghani War that he appreciated. I spent a week in D.C." I spun one of my cover stories from memory.

Being C.I.A. means that you always prepare to lie, but that is actually how I was recruited. But that's a different story. I sighed. In all my years of espionage, (fifteen, thanks to time travel) nothing prepared me for what happened next. I passed out.

One hour later

I was handcuffed, chained to my own bed and being interrogated. But, it wasn't the Lyoko Warriors. It was the girl of my dreams. Literally. "Why the hell are you in my head?" she screamed.

" I don't know."

(A/N Sorry for the short chapter, it kinda sets the pace for Code: America's prequel, The Covert Ventures of Zach Flame and C.A.'s plot)

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